


break these bones ‘til they’re better

by emma_rose_taylor



Series: shattered porcelain glued back together again [1]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), tangled the series
Genre: Be True To Yourself, Gen, Self-Discovery, carve your own path, discovering your destiny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:28:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26820646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emma_rose_taylor/pseuds/emma_rose_taylor
Summary: Cass sets off on her own to find out what she’s made of. Little does she know what waits for her around the bend.Set after the events of the Tangled the Series finale Plus Est En Vous.
Relationships: Cassandra & Fidella (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Owl (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra (Disney: Tangled) & Other(s)
Series: shattered porcelain glued back together again [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040713





	break these bones ‘til they’re better

**Author's Note:**

> Hello reader! Thanks for checking out my newest creation. I’m still in the process of writing it, so I may not post anything more until I finish or make significant progress. With that being said, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing what I have so far. I hope you feel empowered by Cass’ journey of self-discovery and experience her adventures with her as you read. There’s no huge overarching plot besides that, so it’s basically a long string of moments I see Cass having right after the series finale. Enjoy! 
> 
> p.s. words in between the squiggles are song lyrics from "More of Me", which I do not own rights to. Also, the title of this work and the series it belongs to are lyrics from the song “eight” by Sleeping at Last. I consider Cass to be an enneagram type 8, so I think the song fits her personality very well. Please give the song a listen if you’ve never heard it before. It is truly stunning.

Cassandra's POV

Staring out at the tree line in front of me, I can't help but think about everything I've been through in the past three years. Going from Rapunzel's lady-in-waiting to her trusted friend, then to the one who would betray her after she had already been betrayed by Varian.... it was a lot. I wasn't the only one who was worse for wear, however. Raps had suffered just as much even though I didn't see it at the time. Looking back, it's easy to feel ashamed and astounded by what I've done. Yet knowing that the girl I called my best friend (and still do) believes in me enough to show forgiveness gives me enough strength to believe in myself. I don't know where I'll go from here, but I do know that there is so much more for me. And I'm about to discover it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Now I got my eyes open and wide_   
_My heart burnin' like fire_   
_Feels like I'm so alive_   
_I'm never going back_   
_Whatever I want now, I'm gonna chase_   
_Who I am I can't contain it_   
_I'm not gonna hold it in_   
_'Cause there's more of me to give_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After so long, I'm finally free. Finally able to do whatever I want and not worry about the consequences. Sure, deciding to pursue my own destiny didn't go so well in the past, but I'm a different person now. I know who to trust and who to tune out, and I really hope I never have to doubt that again. In the meantime, I've been thinking about what I'm going to do now that it's just me.

I'll probably stop at Vardaros on my way out of town, but after that, who knows where I'll go? I want to explore cities, try new things, and, despite how silly it sounds, fulfill some dreams. There's so much I'm capable of, yet I've never had the chance to dive deeper towards the things I love. Perhaps I'll find new passions or simply build upon some old ones. Whatever happens, I'm spreading my wings and chasing after what I want... without hurting the people I love.

I smile as Owl soars around me, his wings sending shockwaves throughout the air. Insects nearby scatter to escape the disturbance. My eyes turn back to my feathered companion as he lands on my shoulder, close to the strip of my lady-in-waiting headpiece tied around my arm. Seeing the cloth reminds me of Corona and before I know it, memories scatter across my mind, filling every space with vivid images of my place within the castle. 

I remember spending hours at a time learning the rules and expectations of ladies-in-waiting. We were to be knowledgeable and cultured, just like the people we served. We learned proper etiquette and how to guide those who were learning all these things themselves. Typically this involved younger royals but in my case, it meant Rapunzel. Being locked in a tower for eighteen years revealed so many of her blind spots, and it was my job to fill in the gaps. We had a lot of ground to cover.

On top of all the lessons on curtsies and appropriate dinner topics, I managed to navigate through the controversial nature of our relationship, one which I had assumed would be strictly professional. After all, I had a job to do, and I was ready to do it regardless of the princess' attitude towards me. Not to mention the fact that our supposed friendship could have had negative consequences if she and I were to have a falling out (which, in fairness, we did). 

I constantly considered the risks of such an alliance and although I ultimately disregarded my better judgement, I remained aware of the possible outcomes.

As time went on, however, I couldn't help but feel some sort of camaraderie with Rapunzel. She and I are total opposites, don't get me wrong, but I noticed there was something within each of us that seemed to resonate with the other. We both wanted to be ourselves and feel loved for it. I wasn't always the best at expressing this desire (who am I kidding, I'm still not good at expressing it), but the sentiment remained all the same. Just because you don't wear your emotions on your sleeve doesn't mean you don't feel them.

There was so much I had buried emotionally before taking the moonstone, and it didn't magically go away afterwards. Zhan Tiri convinced me that I deserved to take hold of my destiny no matter the costs, but she only did so to use me as a pawn in her game. I was merely the means to an end. Her end, and her destiny. Perhaps that was why I felt so strongly about leaving Corona as soon as possible.

Dad wanted me to stay there with him for a while, which was understandable considering the way I treated him during our last few encounters. But I couldn't. After helping Raps defeat Zhan Tiri, I didn't feel good about staying, not after everything I had done. Most of my choices had been based out of fear and manipulated thoughts, but that didn't change what I did. I knew Dad alone would have a lot to say on my recklessness and rebellious path, but surprisingly, he contained it in a furrowed brow and long silence. The smile he had eventually given me was one of relief for my well-being and safety, and his hug merely confirmed this.

"I'm sorry I failed you, Cassandra. I can see now that I should have told you the truth about your mother, but I could never bring myself to do it. Perhaps if I had, you wouldn't have..." He trailed off uncomfortably.

"No, Dad." I had denied firmly as I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I chose that path even though I knew it was wrong, and I take full responsibility for that. You raised me well, and I shouldn't have let my emotions get the best of me. I didn't mean to turn on everyone, but I was so determined to prove that I deserved to have a destiny, too."

There had been a brief pause as I allowed my mind to wander.

"I heard you gave up being Captain while I was away. That you didn't want to fight me."

The words sounded immature and I almost regretted speaking them until Dad turned towards me. His eyes shone with a delicate shimmer I had never before seen.

"I couldn't harm you, Cassandra. You're my daughter. As... perplexed... as I was by the choices you made, I knew you were still my little girl, and I couldn't bring myself to fight against you. Not like that. You'll always be my little girl." He murmured gently, his gaze centered on the space between us.

The warmth I had felt in my chest at the sound of his words somehow made me shiver. He cared for me that much to have stepped down from his position as Captain—a position that practically defined him—because he didn't have it in him to fight me? As much as we refrained from showing physical affection, I was always aware of the fact that Dad cared for me. In regards to the extent of his love, however, I had no clue.

These realizations gave me the confidence I hadn't realized I'd been looking for. In that moment, I almost felt as though I could have traveled outside the earth and danced among the stars. Unfortunately, reality brought me down to earth sooner than expected.

"I want to help rebuild, but..."

I had trailed off, debating whether or not I wanted to open that particular can of worms. The events of that day had left me emotionally and physically drained. Still, I tried my best to accurately express what was on my mind.

"Just because Raps has forgiven me doesn't mean everyone else has."

There, I had said it. Thankfully, Dad's smile remained one of sympathy and care.

"I understand. I'll stay here and rebuild. Let me know when you're ready for me to visit."

I had offered my own complicated smile and nodded in return before beginning to leave.

"And Cassandra? I'm proud of you."

Those final four words had made me stop in my tracks. As weird as it sounds, it felt good to know that he would miss me. I had almost convinced myself he wouldn't.

Processing all this inside my head takes a great deal of effort. After all, the memory is still fresh and therefore sensitive. Clearing my throat as if it will chase the thoughts away, I reach into my bag to grab something—anything—to distract me from the delicate moments threatening to break my determined resolve. My hand emerges with the friendship bracelet Raps made for me during the Contest of the Crowns all those years ago. So much for forgetting the past.

With a deep breath, I plunge my hand back into the depths of my bag. This time I retrieve a leather-bound book, its pages fresh and clean. My journal.

You heard me. It's not a diary, it's a journal, albeit an empty one. I never really found time to fill the pages while I lived in Corona, not with Raps getting into trouble 24/7. I hate to admit it, but I miss that girl already. As much as I want to turn a new page and forget about Corona and everything in it, I can't. At least not yet.

I place the journal back in my bag, fingers lingering around it for a moment more. Okay, that's enough for today. With a quick whisper to Fidella and a sideways glance at Owl, I gather the rest of my things and set off to find a good place to camp out for the night.


End file.
